UMass Dartmouth Grad Charged in State House Vandalism

An Everett man with ties to a pro-Palestinian group was charged with last month's vandalism to the Massachusetts State House.

UMass Dartmouth Connection

Boston's WCVB-TV reported investigators believe 25-year-old Jermaiah Yusuf Sawaqed, a 2022 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, allegedly targeted other "prominent public buildings."

Sawaqed allegedly poured white paint on the front gate of the historic State House and sprayed graffiti on granite columns on July 23, 2025.

FBI and Police Investigation

Massachusetts State Police and the FBI followed white paint footprints from the State House into Boston Common across the street.

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Links to Other Attacks

Sawaqed also faces charges of vandalism at the George Washington Monument at the Public Garden and two buildings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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"Investigators are also linking Sawaqed to two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found on the Boston Common," according to WCVB, which reported Sawaqed "also has an open case in Tennessee of domestic assault charges."

Extremist Group Allegation

WBZ-TV reported, "Detectives say the 25-year-old is part of a group called the Direct-Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), which investigators consider an extreme anti-Zionist organization that endorses violent resistance."

"Intelligence agencies from New York and Toronto had been looking into the suspect," and Sawaqed made a "disturbing social media post," according to WBZ.

WCVB reported Sawaqed "went to high school in Colorado before moving to Massachusetts to attend UMass Dartmouth." The station stated that "On his LinkedIn profile, he described himself as a 'dedicated bioengineer.'"

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The connection to UMass Dartmouth is eerie, considering Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar "Jahar" Anzorovich Tsarnaev also attended the school.

A peace tree and a bench were placed near the track on the local campus to honor those killed and injured in the Boston Marathon bombing.